Chapter 54: The Unknown feelings of Dally Mores
Eiden sized up the woman his dad had been leaning on. His eyes studied her carefully her short chestnut hair tied into a loose ponytail, her light denim jacket over a dark grey hoodie, and the neutral expression on her face. She looked calm and composed, but tired.
He was sure absolutely sure that he had never seen her before. Not in the streets, not in the supermarket, not near the college, not anywhere.
Not even once. His mind briefly flashed back to earlier that evening the arcade center, the flashing lights, the crowd and how he had seen his dad there, drunk and slouched, leaning on this very woman. A stranger. That image lingered for a second before Eiden let out a short breath and moved forward.
Without a word, he crouched beside his father. It took effort, but he managed to hoist Algir onto his back, adjusting the weight across his shoulders. His dad wasn’t exactly light, and the alcohol made his body limp and uncooperative. Still, Eiden carried him over to the couch and gently laid him down.
Meanwhile, his mom, Dally, had stepped away into the kutchi the small side kitchen. A few moments later, she returned with two cups of water in her hands. Without hesitation, she offered one to the woman who had brought Algir home, and with the other, she crouched by her husband, raising his head slightly to help him sip.
Algir groaned faintly, still half-unconscious. The water trickled down his throat as Dally held the cup with a steady hand.
Eiden watched silently, taking it all in. After a beat, he turned to the woman. With a small bow and a lowered head, he said quietly, "Thank you very much for bringing Dad home."
She gave a tired but warm smile. "It’s okay," she said gently. Eiden then straightened up, offering a polite smile of his own. "Sorry, you must be...?"
She chuckled softly, her tone light despite the fatigue in her eyes. "I’m Valora Vice my brother works with your dad. I work at an arcade center nearby. We’ve known each other for quite a while... your dad would often bring my brother home if he got too drunk. Tonight, though..." She shrugged lightly. "Both of them ended up drunk. So my brother couldn’t return the favor. I had to do it instead. Your dad kept giving me directions in bits, so I followed as best I could."
From behind them, Dally spoke, her voice calm but filled with sincerity. "Thank you so much." Valora turned and smiled again.